Charles Grodin

As one of Hollywood's true jack-of-all-trades, actor Charles Grodin amassed a résumé that boasted acting, screenwriting, producing, directing, and television hosting credits over the cou...
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By this time, you've probably read, tweeted about, and sorted through no shortage of confrontational reaction pieces on Maureen Dowd's essay on getting so high she thought she was dead. A collective of Internet voices pointed out why marijuana was not the culprit of Dowd's existential eruption but a mixture of inexperience and poor planning. Dozens leapt to the defense of pot in the wake of what they considered an unjust maligning of their dear friend, following the form of so many television programs and films of the past two decades that have worked to glorify recreational use of the drug after years of criminal stigma. In the sociopolitical spectrum, Dowd represented the closing of that cycle: a rebuttal to all the rebuttals. And in the aforementioned spectrum of pop culture, we have Louie doing the same. Or so it might seem.
This week's episode of the often surreal comedy/drama takes the form of a 90-minute mini-movie, shafting the show's usual subversion of structure, stories, characters, and basic sentiments we're used to seeing on air in favor of a far more conventional, soft-spoken anecdote about a 13-year-old boy's first experiences with pot. The extended flashback about the dawn of Louie's marijuana use, which makes up the bulk of the episode, is inspired when Louie catches 12-year-old Lily smoking a joint with a few kids her age. His nerves explode as he wrangles her away from the pack, plops her down by a nearby tree, scolds her for this behavior, threatens to inform her mother, takes her to get a burger, and then drives her home silently... throughout the mission, Louie doesn't seem to have a clue about how to handle this sort of thing. And that's probably because, as we learn from a flashback, nobody really knew how to handle it when he did the same thing at her age.
We meet Louie (Devin Druid, who we'll forgive for a deficit of freckles) in his last year of junior high school. The young man, pre-first toke, is warm and loving to his mother, attentive in school, and an all around good fella. With the knowledge of where this episode is setting to go, there's the inescapable ambiance of propaganda here — such a good kid torn asunder by the clutches of recreational drugs: Louie does lose his grip quite a bit once partaking in the bounties of weed. He becomes lazy, tired, edgy, and resorts at his lowest point to stealing a handful of scales from his school's chemistry department (and his beloved teacher, played by Skipp Sudduth and named ostensibly for Philip Seymour Hoffman, to whom the episode is dedicated) for trade with his shifty drug dealer (maybe my favorite Jeremy Renner performance yet).
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On paper, it does seem over the top, and the episode veers in that direction quite a few times, barely avoiding the after school special state of being. But once "In the Woods" grabs hold of the characters around Louie, like his mom, friends, friends' families, teacher, principal, guidance counselor, drug dealer, and long absent father (played by F. Murray Abraham in his third role on the show, the previous being Louie's Uncle Excelsior), it proves itself as an episode not about marijuana, but about the way people react to marijuana.
Louie's friends react to the idea of starting a life with pot with hungry glee. His dorky pal thinks hedonistically, encouraging Louie to get in the drug selling game, while a "wrong side of the tracks" new friend/former bully who hitches his wagon to Louie in light of his latest score of hash, warns against the dangers of dealing, and dealing with dealers. Adults around these kids have adverse reactions: they respond with hostility (the bully's older brother, lamenting this waste of time and money as their mother succumbs to illness), legal threats (Louie's principal, suspecting him of theft of the school's property), moral condemnation (Louie's father, rearing his head for the first time in a month to express his distaste for Louie and his choices), and compassion (a guidance counselor who caps the episode with reasonable theories about Louie self-medicating to overcome his parents' divorce). But the one that really hits, the one that veers closest to Louie's own befuddled reaction: his mom, played once again by Amy Landecker (and quite astoundingly), who is simply hurt.
She is hurt over the thought of losing her son: his purity and innocence. And she, with more burdens upon her than adult Louie, is torn to accusing him of abandoning her and himself. Of becoming selfish, vacant, and boring (we recall just last week, Dr. Charles Grodin said the very same thing of Louie... but it didn't sting quite as much then). Louie recoils immediately after accusing Lily of leaving behind her childhood for good, knowing that experimentation, while indicative of an ushering in of the new, does not necessitate a deletion of the old. Still, he's afraid to lose his girl to things she can't handle, and more inevitably, adulthood altogether. And rightfully so — considering the Louie we know from the show's admittedly loose modern day canon, he has never been the same since "growing up." He might miss his old self. And just like his mom missed him when he began to change, he'll miss Lily as she does.
But as "In the Woods" shows us, this doesn't mean that Louie is ruined; that's where it differs from the propaganda of health class specials that we're used to, despite mimicking them in tone (probably with intention). Louie maintains integrity in the face of fear throughout his plethora of mistakes. He stands up for his bullied friend, dissuades from the use of violence, owns up to his crimes, and ultimately reconciles with his mom. Marijuana didn't make him worse, it was just a bridge to him becoming older. By the end of "In the Woods," Louie was the kind of person who'd have to fix his mistakes rather than never make them in the first place.
The episode is a ways away from the glorification of pot that we've seen in most adult television shows and movies of late. After years of demonization, Judd Apatow and his ilk took the drug back to showcase how harmless and fun it can be. And it can be both of those things. But just like any other new experience at the onset of teen- and adulthood, it can also be a problem. More important than the drug itself is the way people react to it... and not just the users.
Follow @Michael Arbeiter| Follow @Hollywood_com

K.C. Bailey/FX
There are a few different types of Louie episodes. The first two entries in Season 4, premiering back to back on Monday night, showcase diversity in story structure — one a series of barely connected (sometimes not at all) vignettes, one a long self-contained narrative — but keep primarily within the margins of a specific type of comedy.
One of the very first things we see in premiere episode "Back" is a gang of rowdy garbage men going out of their way to make as much noise as possible on a sleepy Manhattan morning, escalating in destruction from simply tossing trash cans around the street to breaking through a stoic Louie's window and wreaking havoc on his bedroom. (The fact that we've seen Louie's apartment to be a few stories above ground — think: Never tossing his rug out the window — makes this surreal gag even funnier.)
The sequence sets a tone for not only this episode, but the one to follow. We embrace even the chapters set in "reality" (like Louie laughing off young Lily's homework assignment to write a letter to AIDS, or Todd Barry telling his pal how much he dislikes his two daughters) with a whimsical, heightened feel. When Louie takes to the Hamptons in Episode 2 for a schmaltzy benefit gig that devolves into a night of passion with a wealthy model, we keep expecting something weird to happen. Weirder, I mean.
K.C. Bailey/FX
C.K.'s show handles fantasy in a way that few other programs do, playing on imagination to either breathe life into thoughts or sentiments that we've all experienced — the disruptive melodies of the morning garbage pickup, or obtrusively unhelpful medical professionals (Charles Grodin wonderfully plays a doctor who lays waste to the idea that Louie might ever be able to relieve himself of back pain) — or to say something interesting about the human condition (after blowing it with Yvonne Strahovski, accidentally punching her in the face and paralyzing her pupil, getting his own nose broken, and winding up on the losing end of a multi-million lawsuit, Louie can only smile about the fact that his woeful story has earned him the attention of a cute comedy club employee). Really, Louie is today's answer to The Twilight Zone.
The episodes yet to come this season will show us a different side of Louie, the type that offers earthy, biting commentary on who we are as members of this society and how we operate therein. But as a kick-off to the season, we're very pleased that C.K. chose to go the delightfully weird route. There's nothing on TV quite like Louie, and there really never has been.

Ray Liotta is getting ready to play the music and light the lights, because Variety reports that the GoodFellas and Killing Them Softly star has just been cast in James Bobin's 2014 sequel to The Muppets. He joins an ensemble that already includes Tina Fey as a Russian gulag prison guard, Ty Burrell as an Interpol inspector, and Ricky Gervais in an unspecified role. If you couldn't already tell from those character descriptions, The Muppets 2 is going to be a European-set caper of some kind. The casting of Liotta is intriguing, though, because he already had a role in the 1999 flop Muppets From Space, a movie that was such a failure it caused our felt friends to be banished from the big screen for 12 years.
When Bobin and writer-producer-star Jason Segel revived the Muppets in 2011, it was designed as a clean break from the past (especially from Muppets From Space). So, the fact that Liotta has been cast means that The Muppets 2 might be more interested in honoring the franchise's history rather than starting with a clean slate. Even the little we know of it sounds somewhat like 1981's The Great Muppet Caper. That got us to thinking... what other flesh-and-blood alums would we like to see return to act opposite their Muppet friends? There's certainly a large roster to choose from. Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes even appeared as their Dawson's Creek characters in Muppets From Space! Here, in no particular order, is our wish list.
1. Steve Martin (Previous Muppet Experience: 1979's The Muppet Movie)
First off, his classic "arrow through the head" bit could actually have been a Muppet sketch. His self-consciously Palookaville stand-up persona shares much with Fozzie Bear. Secondly, he delivered possibly the all-time best Muppet movie celebrity cameo ever, as an insolent, Lederhosen-clad waiter in the original Muppet Movie. Just watch him serve Miss Piggy and Kermit some sparkling Muscatel, the "finest wine of Idaho."
2. Mel Brooks (The Muppet Movie)
Okay, we know he's 86 and semi-retired, but the Muppets have their pop culture roots in vaudeville, and Brooks' Borscht Belt sensibility worked perfectly in The Muppet Movie, wherein he played a maniacal (but incompetent) scientist.
3. Cloris Leachman (The Muppet Movie)
Also 86, Leachman would still bring a livewire spark to her interaction with the Muppets, preferably if she were to play off Mel Brooks.
4. Austin Pendleton (The Muppet Movie)
The What's Up Doc? alum and sometime Pixar voice actor (Finding Nemo's Gurgle!) is one of the great unsung character actors of the past 40 years. Like the greatest character actors, he makes every movie he's in, as well as the stars around him, a little bit better just by being there.
5. Charles Grodin (1981's The Great Muppet Caper)
American cinema has been a little bit poorer ever since Grodin reduced his movie workload. His roles in Albert Brooks' Real Life, Seems Like Old Times, and Heaven Can Wait inaugurated a new breed of self-aware snark that then played beautifully when he portrayed a sniveling jewel thief in The Great Muppet Caper. Just check out his interaction with Miss Piggy here:
6. Diana Rigg (The Great Muppet Caper)
Rigg somehow managed to bring both Grand Dame haughtiness and Bond Girl sexiness to her role as the wealthy target of a jewel heist in The Great Muppet Caper. Too bad she's probably too busy shooting Season 3 of Game of Thrones.
7. Dabney Coleman (1984's The Muppets Take Manhattan)
Another of our very best character actors, Coleman was famously tied up by Dolly Parton in 9 to 5 and kneed in the balls by Dustin Hoffman's Tootsie, before going toe to toe with an equally formidable lady, Miss Piggy, in The Muppets Take Manhattan. He was on Boardwalk Empire for a couple years, but his schedule seems free for a Muppet reunion.
8. Liza Minnelli (The Muppets Take Manhattan)
Liza played herself in The Muppets Take Manhattan. It's time she returns to perform "Kermit With a K."
9. Michael Caine (1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol)
Caine's take on Ebenezer Scrooge works so beautifully because he never played down to his Muppet costars. It's as if he's acting against seasoned thesps at the Old Vic. How great it would be to see him back in action. If the new movie is indeed a caper, he can even make fun of himself saying, "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"
10. Tim Curry (1996's Muppet Treasure Island)
Curry's flamboyant Long John Silver was the recipient of the bawdiest line Miss Piggy's ever uttered onscreen: "Helloooo, Long...John."
Follow Christian Blauvelt on Twitter @Ctblauvelt
[Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures, Disney]

Well this certainly is...something! Cult-like holiday classic and my mother's all-time favorite film, A Christmas Story has a sequel. "At long last!" screamed nobody. "You're welcome," said Hollywood. So here we are: set a few years after the original, Ralphie and his family are back for the teen years version of their customary holiday antics. This straight-to-DVD film has all the tropes of the original: accidents, santa claus, and leg lamps (oh my)! Hysterical mothers and awkward children! Costumes!
Of course, this isn't the first sequel of the film. Wait, you didn't know that? It's true! There are actually two: a TV movie (Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss) and a Charles Grodin-starring film It Runs in the Family, both of which were written by the original Christmas Story author, Jean Shepherd. Which raises the question: why is this one being touted as the "official sequel" when the other ones had Shepherd involved but this one doesn't. Still unsure? Be our guest and formulate your own opinions on the film with the trailer below.
Will you be checking out the newest A Christmas Story? Let us know in the comments.
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
More:
How IMAX Fits the Larger Than Life Fun of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
Richard Linklater's Trilogy-Capper 'Before Midnight' Secretly Shot and Wrapped
'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters': Why Does Gretel Have to Get Kidnapped? — TRAILER

The Weinstein Co. will no longer have to fight with the MPAA regarding the critically beloved documentary Bully. After weeks of controversy surrounding the rating of the Lee Hirsch film, which chronicles the bullying epidemic in America and young people whose lives are directly effected by it, the Weinstein Co. got what they were hoping for: The PG-13 stamp.
The production company, which rallied hard against the MPAA's initial R rating, announced Thursday that a PG-13 version of the film will be released on Friday, April 13 in 115 theaters. In accordance with the MPAA's guidelines, Bully had to cut three F-words from the film in order to be granted their desired rating. (The film currently playing in theaters as an unrated feature.)
While this marks a momentous strike in the battle against the reviled ratings system (Bully has been give a PG-13 rating despite still having enough strong language that would typically warrant an R by the MPAA), will this be heralded as a victory for all filmmakers fighting for their movies to be seen by wider audiences? Or is it simply a well-executed marketing ploy by the notoriously shrewd Weinstein?
When the Weinstein Co. and Hirsch went to the forefront to fight against the MPAA, crying that this was a film that needed to be seen by those who could not get in to R-rated movies, a grassroots campaign quickly emerged. A 17-year-old high school student named Katy Butler started a viral petition to get the Bully rating changed and collected over 300,000 signatures in the process. The movement spread to Capitol Hill (more than 20 lawmakers signed a bipartisan letter to the MPAA) and Hollywood (the film received support from the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry.)
This isn't the first time the MPAA and Weinstein have agreed to make changes for a rating (in 2010, the Weinstein Company's The King's Speech muted some of their F-words in order to have a PG-13 version of the film before the Oscars), nor is it the first time that Weinstein's tireless campaigning for a film has seen its desired outcome. (Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan, anyone?)
As we pointed out last week, the controversy surrounding Bully has given the film attention it might have otherwise not received. Independent features, particularly documentaries, tend to open and close in smaller markets without so much as causing a blip on most moviegoers' radars. Bully has now become a headline-grabbing entertainment news story and a awareness movement. No poster or trailer or late night talk show show visit could wield that kind of power.
But herein lies the bigger dilemma. Even if the widespread Bully movement was a byproduct of Weinstein planning, if it does more good than harm in the end (having Bully seen by younger audiences, getting anti-bullying legislation in motion, changing the MPAA's standards), should it matter how the job gets done? Even when something seems to have the best intentions at heart, skepticism can often create backlash just as big as the issue itself. Just look at the Kony 2012 project. Instead, perhaps we should let our compassion for the kids in Bully triumph over all and simply admit: Well done, Weinstein.
More:
Bully: The Hollywood.com Review
Bully: Will the Controversy Actually Help the Film?
EXCLUSIVE: The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus Takes a Stand Against Bullying

"Show don't tell."
The mantra is quintessential to the art of moviemaking but equally applicable to the realm of social advocacy. There may be a problem brewing out there in the world a reason to rise up and take a stand but it's near impossible to light a fire simply by telling people a situation exists. They have to witness it themselves.
Bully a new documentary out now in theaters crosses over into both these arenas an insightful piece of photographic journalism that tackles an acknowledged issue rarely dealt with directly: school bullying. Executive Producer Harvey Weinstein has made it loud and clear that people need to address the harrowing claims Bully unveils — so much so he's taken the MPAA rating system to task for trying to slap a audience-minimizing "R" rating on to the movie (Bully is currently playing unrated). His battle made headlines sparking big name stars to back the film through PSA videos taking to their TV shows to spread the word and promoting the film via Twitter. "13 million kids get bullied every year. Today take a stand with me " is what folks like Justin Timberlake Katy Perry and Hugh Jackman told their followers last week in anticipation of the movie's release. That's great but at the end of the day it's telling. And telling as director Lee Hirsch reveals in the film gets you nowhere. Seeing is believing and Bully must be seen.
The film follows a number of middle school-aged children barely surviving the landscape of modern bullying. Alex Libby 12 is routinely called Fish Face – at least that's what his parents school faculty and every other adult figure in his life thinks. In fact Alex is the target of violent torture from locker head-smashing to pencil stabbing to anything physically possible within the confines of a school bus. Hirsch manages to track his subjects with an unflinching eye and his captured footage he later realizes can't go unseen by Alex's parents. It's that brutal.
Bully shows provokes and convinces through parallel accounts. We know Alex faces a number of future paths based on the fates of kids in similar situations. Tyler Long the subject of harsh bullying ended his life at the age of 17. Ja'meya Jackson snapped after years of aggravation eventually bringing a gun on to her school bus. She didn'tt pull the trigger using the weapon as intimidation but found herself locked up in a juvenile detention center. Kelby Johnson managed to overcome hate; after coming out as a lesbian the former star athlete suffered at the hands of prejudiced classmates — but. as she tells Hirsch support from her family helped her survive
While the movie features graphic violence and hateful language (which landed it the infamous R rating) it's the attitudes of the adults in Hirsch's film that make Bully difficult to swallow. The Vice Principal of Alex's school is convinced his case is a "boys will be boys" situation. Hirsch follows the woman as she traverses the middle school halls unable to reprimand bad behavior with more than a desperate plea. As she puts it to Alex's family after they seek guidance "I wish I could say I could make it stop but I'm not going to lie to you I can't." Why? That's the lingering question in Bully. The film doesn't have a detailed plan on how to stop bullying but the problem may not need one. The first step is acknowledging the problem and even Alex's father seem misdirected and unaware when he pushes his son to fight back.
Bully feels narrowly focused centering in on a slice of American life that makes one wonder if people on the coasts suffer from the same violent trend. But the intimacy in which Hirsch was able to photograph feels jaw-dropping enough to make a point: modern bullying has evolved from when most of the older subjects of the documentary were kids. There's no one reason for the change — a shift in parenting styles? The financial difficulties of the education system? An archaic school of thought that can't be shaken? The floodgates of information and opinions opened up by the Internet? — but Hirsch has evidence indisputable evidence that there's a problem that must be addressed.
The film does need the endorsement of celebrities to convince skeptics to fork over cash. Bully is not an easy sell ("Let's spend an afternoon bawling our eyes out!"). But promoting the cause The Bully Project can't end with a pop singer tweeting about the problem. Hirsch's film lives up to the hype thanks to its simplicity. The call to action doesn't come from the movie's marketing but rather from the heart-pounding reaction to watching the film.
Bully is out now in theaters and may even be readying a PG-13 cut. Either way it's one to see with your own eyes.
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"Show, don't tell."
The mantra is quintessential to the art of moviemaking, but equally applicable to the realm of social advocacy. There may be a problem brewing out there in the world, a reason to rise up and take a stand, but it's near impossible to light a fire simply by telling people a situation exists. They have to witness it themselves.
Bully, a new documentary out now in theaters, crosses over into both these arenas, an insightful piece of photographic journalism that tackles an acknowledged issue rarely dealt with directly: school bullying. Executive Producer Harvey Weinstein has made it loud and clear that people need to address the harrowing claims Bully unveils — so much so, he's taken the MPAA rating system to task for trying to slap a audience-minimizing "R" rating on to the movie (Bully is currently playing unrated). His battle made headlines, sparking big name stars to back the film through PSA videos, taking to their TV shows to spread the word and promoting the film via Twitter. "13 million kids get bullied every year. Today take a stand with me," is what folks like Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and Hugh Jackman told their followers last week, in anticipation of the movie's release. That's great, but at the end of the day, it's telling. And telling, as director Lee Hirsch reveals in the film, gets you nowhere. Seeing is believing, and Bully must be seen.
The film follows a number of middle school-aged children, barely surviving the landscape of modern bullying. Alex Libby, 12, is routinely called Fish Face – at least, that's what his parents, school faculty and every other adult figure in his life thinks. In fact, Alex is the target of violent torture, from locker head-smashing to pencil stabbing to anything physically possible within the confines of a school bus. Hirsch manages to track his subjects with an unflinching eye, and his captured footage, he later realizes, can't go unseen by Alex's parents. It's that brutal.
Bully shows, provokes and convinces through parallel accounts. We know Alex faces a number of future paths based on the fates of kids in similar situations. Tyler Long, the subject of harsh bullying, ended his life at the age of 17. Ja'meya Jackson snapped after years of aggravation, eventually bringing a gun on to her school bus. She didn'tt pull the trigger, using the weapon as intimidation, but found herself locked up in a juvenile detention center. Kelby Johnson managed to overcome hate; after coming out as a lesbian, the former star athlete suffered at the hands of prejudiced classmates — but. as she tells Hirsch, support from her family helped her survive
While the movie features graphic violence and hateful language (which landed it the infamous R rating), it's the attitudes of the adults in Hirsch's film that make Bully difficult to swallow. The Vice Principal of Alex's school is convinced his case is a "boys will be boys" situation. Hirsch follows the woman as she traverses the middle school halls, unable to reprimand bad behavior with more than a desperate plea. As she puts it to Alex's family after they seek guidance, "I wish I could say I could make it stop, but I'm not going to lie to you, I can't." Why? That's the lingering question in Bully. The film doesn't have a detailed plan on how to stop bullying, but the problem may not need one. The first step is acknowledging the problem, and even Alex's father seem misdirected and unaware when he pushes his son to fight back.
Bully feels narrowly focused, centering in on a slice of American life that makes one wonder if people on the coasts suffer from the same violent trend. But the intimacy in which Hirsch was able to photograph feels jaw-dropping enough to make a point: modern bullying has evolved from when most of the older subjects of the documentary were kids. There's no one reason for the change — a shift in parenting styles? The financial difficulties of the education system? An archaic school of thought that can't be shaken? The floodgates of information and opinions opened up by the Internet? — but Hirsch has evidence, indisputable evidence, that there's a problem that must be addressed.
The film does need the endorsement of celebrities to convince skeptics to fork over cash. Bully is not an easy sell ("Let's spend an afternoon bawling our eyes out!"). But promoting the cause, The Bully Project, can't end with a pop singer tweeting about the problem. Hirsch's film lives up to the hype thanks to its simplicity. The call to action doesn't come from the movie's marketing, but rather, from the heart-pounding reaction to watching the film.
Bully is out now in theaters, and may even be readying a PG-13 cut. Either way, it's one to see with your own eyes.
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In the devastating trailer for Bully, a heartbreaking message flashes between the footage from Lee Hirsch's documentary about the bullying epidemic amongst youths. It reads, simply, "The problem is being ignored."
Fortunately, thanks to the documentary, which arrives in theaters in limited release this weekend, that may no longer be the case. The film — which has received high-profile support from the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Jimmy Fallon, Zooey Deschanel, Hugh Jackman, Mariah Carey, Russell Crowe, Kim Kardashian, and The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus, among many others — may actually wind up getting the most help for its cause from its unlikeliest foe: The MPAA.
In one of their most controversial ratings to date, the MPAA gave Bully an R rating, a decision that prompted the film's distributor The Weinstein Company to campaign to reverse the rating. Despite TWC's efforts — as well as a petition on Change.org signed by nearly half a million people — to overrule Bully's rating, the MPAA did not back down. While some theater chains will still release Bully as an R-rated feature, TWC has refused the R-rating and will release the film as unrated.
So how will this bode for Bully at the box office? Here's where things get complicated. While the MPAA's refusal to change their stringent R-rating rules (they'll only allow so many curse words to differentiate between an R and a PG-13. Just ask The King's Speech) hurts the film's chances to be seen by its target audience, the rating has also given the documentary more positive publicity than it could have possibly asked for. (Here is a movie in which people are actively campaigning to ensure it's seen by the masses. Can't exactly say the same for this weekend's "big" release Wrath of the Titans, can you?)
Of course, this isn't the first time a film has faced off against the MPAA. In 2010, the haunting indie drama Blue Valentine was surprisingly slapped with an NC-17 because of a sex scene. The Weinstein Co. once again appealed the rating and ultimately wound up with their desired R rating. While the film was by no means a box office smash (it earned just $9.7 million in the U.S. alone), the controversy brought some extra attention to the movie, which ultimately earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for its leading lady Michelle Williams.
In fact, many MPAA-feuding small releases often catch the attention of the Academy. As chronicled in the compelling ratings documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated (which, wouldn't you know know, is unrated), movies such as Boys Don't Cry and The Cooler, whose filmmakers battled the MPAA after getting slapped with an NC-17, found redemption with the Academy. While both films eventually earned their R ratings, neither were box office hits (they earned $11.5 million and 10.4 million, respectively). But Hillary Swank earned a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Brandon Teena in Boy's Don't Cry, while Alec Baldwin earned a Best Supporting Actor nod for his work in The Cooler.
But even though these films also had the odds stacked against them (a lethal MPAA rating, independent distribution, controversy), Bully has yet another obstacle in its way: It's a documentary film. Three of the top-grossing docs of all time are more family-friendly fare: Earth, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, and March of the Penguins. Then again, the highest-grossing documentary in movie history, Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 ($119 million in the U.S. alone) opened to a heap of controversy and came out at a time when people demanded more content about the subject matter. Perhaps Bully won't be so ignored, both at the box office and come Oscar season, after all.
More:
The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus Stands Up Against Bullying
Ellen DeGeneres Battles R Rating for Bully
Weinstein's Bully To Be Unrated

One sign of a great documentary is whether or not the movie can get people talking, and with days before its release, Bully is sparking debate in Hollywood and across the country. Producer Harvey Weinstein (the mastermind behind such Oscar winners as The King's Speech and The Artist) is currently in a heated battle with the MPAA board over to the doc, which reveals in raw detail the terrifying truths behind the current trend in school bullying. The film was given an R rating for language, a burden that Weinstein believes will prevent those who must see the film from catching in theaters. He's not alone—celebrities have been taking to the airwaves to make it heard that Bully is a must-see movie, including a recent declaration from Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show and PSAs recorded by familiar names in the business.
The Weinstein Company has given Hollywood.com an exclusive look at two of their anti-bullying videos, recorded by Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead and legendary comedic actor Charles Grodin. Check them out below, and make sure to see Bully when it hits theaters in limited release this Friday.
Find Matt Patches directly on Twitter @misterpatches and remember to follow @Hollywood_com!
Norman Reedus
Tomorrow is also "Anti-Bullying Twitter Tuesday." Follow @BullyMovie and retweet their message: "13 million kids get bullied every year. It's time to take a stand. Repost to stop Bullying. #BullyMovie"

After garnering widespread praise (and an Oscar nomination for screenwriting) for his 2000 directorial debut You Can Count on Me Kenneth Lonergan was in-demand. In September 2005 the writer/director began production on a follow-up feature: Margaret which touted Anna Paquin Matt Damon Mark Ruffalo Matthew Broderick Allison Janney as well as legendary filmmakers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) as producers. The movie wrapped production in a few months time. The buzz was already growing.
Now six years later the movie is finally hitting theaters. So…what took so long?
The journey to this point hasn't been an easy one and it shows. If a film's shot footage is a block of granite and the editing process is the careful carving that turns it into a statuesque work of art Margaret feels like it was attacked by a blind man with a jackhammer. The film is a cinematic disaster a mishmash of shallow characters overwrought politics and sporadic tones. The story follows Lisa Coen (Paquin) a New York teenager who finds herself drowning in chaos after distracting a bus driver (Ruffalo) causing him to hit and kill a pedestrian (Janney). Initially Lisa tells the police it was all an accident but as time passes regret takes hold and the girl embarks on a mission to take down the man she now regards as a culprit. That's just the tip of the iceberg–along the way Lisa deals with everyday teen stuff: falling for her geometry teacher (Damon) combating her anxiety-ridden actress mother losing her virginity dabbling in drugs debating 9/11 and the Iraq War cultivating a relationship with her father in LA and more. There are about eight seasons of television stuffed into Margaret but even a two and a half hour run time can't make it all click.
For more on Margaret check out Indie Seen: Margaret the Long Lost Anna Paquin/Matt Damon Movie

Title

Co-wrote (lyrics and libretto) and directed first off-Broadway play, "Hooray! It's a Glorious Day...and All That"

Wrote "The Right Kind of People," an off-Broadway play about Co-op boards in certain buildings in Manhattan

Played a bounty hunter opposite Robert De Niro in the well-reviewed comedy, "Midnight Run"

Produced and directed off-Broadway production, "Unexpected Guests"

Reprised his role in the sequel, "Beethoven's 2nd"

Film debut, "Rosemary's Baby"

Played Goldie Hawn's husband in roles included Neil Simon's "Seems Like Old Times"

Produced first Broadway play, "Thieves" (also director)

Cast in the play "The Right Kind of People," at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco; play is based on Grodin's experience sitting on the board of the New York co-op he lived in from 1986 to 1992

Hosted own talk show on CNBC cable network titled, "The Charles Grodin Show"

Played the nervous family man in the kids' comedy "Beethoven"

Directed play, "Lovers and Other Strangers" on Broadway

Began working as assistant to director Gene Saks in New York

Feature acting debut in "Sex and the College Girl" (shot in Puerto Rico in 1964 as "The Fun Lovers"; released in Chicago in 1970 as "Sex and the College Girl")

Joined CBS' "60 Minutes II" as a commentator

Starred on Broadway in "Same Time, Next Year"

Returned to acting in the Zach Braff comedy "The Ex"

Wrote and starred in off-Broadway comedy, "Price of Fame"

Moved to MSNBC as host of weekend talk show; show cancelled in November 1999

Adapted "11 Harrowhouse" to film (also starred)

First acting role was in the Broadway production of "Tchin-Tchin"

Co-writer of "The Paul Simon Special"

Summary

As one of Hollywood's true jack-of-all-trades, actor Charles Grodin amassed a résumé that boasted acting, screenwriting, producing, directing, and television hosting credits over the course of his decades-long career. After beginning his career on Broadway opposite Anthony Quinn, Grodin quickly segued into movies, landing memorable supporting roles in "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) and "Catch-22" (1970) before landing his breakout leading role in "The Heartbreak Kid" (1972). His career gradually slowed down throughout the remainder of the decade, though he had villainous supporting parts in "King Kong" (1976) and "Heaven Can Wait" (1978). By the time the 1980s rolled around, Grodin had grown comfortable as a supporting player with roles in hit comedies like "Seems Like Old Times" (1980), "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981) and "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" (1981). But he had his greatest success and most memorable performance as a timorous embezzler in the action comedy "Midnight Run" (1988) opposite Robert De Niro. After scoring another surprise hit with the family friendly "Beethoven" (1992), Grodin shifted gears to become the host of his own provocative, and sometimes controversial news hour, "The Charles Grodin Show" (CNBC, 1995-98), while also delivering political commentary for "60 Minutes II" (CBS, 1999-2005). Mixing both biting wit and comforting wisdom, Grodin's everyman persona earned him the reputation as being one of the country's most respected and trusted public figures.

Name

Role

Comments

Elissa Grodin

Wife

second wife

Theodore Grodin

Father

sold wholesale supplies to clearners, tailors and dressmakers; died c. 1953

Julia Grodin

Wife

divorced; died of brain cancer

Lena Grodin

Mother

assisted in husband's store; died March 1996

Marion Grodin

Daughter

mother, Julia Grodin; produced father's CNBC talk show

Nicky Grodin

Son

born c. 1988; mother Elissa Grodin

Jack Grodin

Brother

six years older

Charles Grodin

Grandfather

rolled cigars at home

Education

Name

Pittsburgh Playhouse

University of Miami

Notes

Received the Actors' Fund Award of Merit (1975)

"I'm like that dog that bites your leg and doesn't let go," he says. "That doesn't mean that I'll be successful, but I'll never stop. My wife can tell you, I never run out of things to say."---Charles Grodin quoted to Los Angeles Times November 30, 2004.